The countries surrounding Russia have long been on the frontline of the country’s aggressively expansionist policies. From Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia to Georgia in the Caucasus – these countries form a Eurasian region which is simultaneously at odds with Russia, but beholden to the Kremlin’s every move. But the war in Ukraine is rewriting old alliances and rivalries here, bringing further instability to a region still scarred by memories of Russian colonial aggression.

In this episode, we speak with Fiona Hill, the ex-director of the US government’s National Security Council and now fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington, to explore the history of Eurasia, and why Ukraine is playing such a vitally important role in the future of so many countries in the region.

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